fixNES vs GoNES
fixNES
github.comGoNES
github.comSide by side
| Figure | fixNES | GoNES |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · NES Emulators | 7.8 (#9) | 8.7 (#1) |
| Controls | Controls are keyboard-only; the README says Windows users can use joy2key if they want controller support. | The README lists configurable keyboard controls, including Player 1 and Player 2 bindings. |
| Downloads | The repository README points to a Windows binary in Releases, whose newest listed release is titled “fixNES Alpha v1.3.1 - Windows Build.” | The README says automated builds are uploaded during releases and links to release download files. |
| License | The repository includes an MIT License granting permission to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and sell the software, subject to its conditions. | The repository identifies its license as Apache-2.0. |
| Purpose | fixNES is an NES emulator the author wrote to learn about the NES, and the README says it is not in the most complete or cleanest state. | GoNES is an NES emulator written in Go. |
Plans
In their own words
fixNES
fixNES is a free, open-source NES emulator for Windows and Linux. It runs NTSC and PAL .nes ROMs and creates .sav files for games that support saving. FDS and QD titles can run when a FDS BIOS named disksys.rom is placed in the same folder, and NSF music files are supported with track changes on the left and right keys. Files can be opened by drag and drop, command-line argument or from ZIP archives. The project lists support for NES mappers and VRC6, VRC7, FDS, MMC5, N163 and Sunsoft 5B audio expansions. Controls are keyboard-only; Windows users can use joy2key for controller input. The standalone build uses supplied scripts and requires freeglut and openal-soft, while a Makefile supports RetroArch core use. The README says the project is not in its most complete or cleanest state. It is licensed under MIT.
GoNES
GoNES is a free, open-source NES emulator written in Go. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and web browsers; the browser version compiles to WebAssembly, and the project links to a hosted instance. At startup, the app opens a file picker for selecting a .nes ROM, and it can also be launched from a terminal with a ROM file argument. The project lists support for mappers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 69 and 71, which it says cover 84.34% of official NES games. Keyboard controls for two players are configurable. Save-state, load-state and undo bindings are listed. GoNES creates a configuration file on first run, with its location documented for each desktop platform. Release downloads are provided, and macOS installation through Homebrew is documented. Source installation is also documented. Building requires OpenGL development libraries because rendering uses Ebitengine. The project says its GUI renders, but menu options still need to be added.